Etrusia - Saxons - Days of the Week - Wednesday Etrusia - Saxons and Vikings in Britain - Home Page Wednesday Wednesday is called after the Roman god Mercury in Latin languages, e.g. Mercredi in French. According to the Encyclopaedia Mythica , Mercury was the god of "trade and profit, merchants and travelers, but originally of the trade in corn. In later times he was equated with the Greek Hermes." The English name for the day refers to the Anglo-Saxon deity Wodan. (Dutch Woenstag is named for the same god). This god is found throughout the norse and germanic territories, with minor variations on his name - Odin, Wodenaz, Wotan, Woden, Wodan, etc. Wodan/Odin Wodan was the old English form of Odin, the Norse god of wisdom war and magic ( Mysterious Britain ) Wikipedia suggests Wodan/Odin is "identical with the Germanic god identified as Mercury by Roman writers and possibly with Tacitus’ regnator omnium deus." This seems to be stretching the parallels, as Mercury was not the chief god of Rome and shares only a limited number of attributes with Odin.

One source for the identification of Odin with Mercury was apparently Julius Caesar, who saw the Celtic Lugh as identical with Mercury. The interpretation further rests on the assumption that Llugh is the same as Odin. Odin and Lugh were both "intellectual gods, commanding magic and poetry. Both have ravens and a spear as their attributes, and both are one-eyed" according to Wikipedia. Tacitus also saw Mercury and Odin as the same god, both being leaders of souls, according to Wikipedia. Although a god of war and death, Odin's associations and achievements were generally intellectual, including poetry, healing and the creation of runes. There are several instances of the extreme lengths to which he would go to gain wisdom. He underwent 9 days and 9 nights of extreme pain, hanging from the World Ash Yggdrasill, pierced by his own spear, so that he could gain knowledge. In this way, he learned 9 magical songs and 18 magic runes. Similarly, he sacrificed an eye for a drink from the waters of wisdom in Minir’s well. He also worked for a year as a farmhand for Baugi, so he could get the mead of poetry.

The Anglo-Saxon kings claimed to be descended from Woden. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Woden's sons Wecta, Baeldaeg, Casere and Wihtlaeg were the ancestors of the royal houses of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In Norse mythology, Odin was Alfadir (Allfather) as father of the gods: Balder, Hod, and Hermod (with Frigg) Thor (by Jord) and Vidar (by Grid). In Norse mythology, Odin's hall (Valaskjalf) is in Valhalla. He watches all events in the 9 worlds from his throne (Hlidskjalf) receiving news from his 2 ravens. His magical possessions include a spear, Gungnir, never misses its target and the ring (Draupnir) which produces 8 new rings every 9 nights, an eight-footed horse (Sleipnir) and two wolves (Freki and Geri) who eat his food - as Odin himself lives on wine. He will be killed by Fenrir (see Tuesday page) on the eve of Ragnorok. ( Encyclopaedia Mythica ).

Other days of the week Wednesday’s Named for Two Very Different Gods | Dictionary.com Blog Home » Language » Wednesday’s Named for Two Very Different Gods Wednesday’s Named for Two Very Different Gods March 19, 2014 by: Dictionary.com 155 Comments The name Wednesday derives from two mighty but distinct gods. The Old English word for Wednesday indicates that the day was named for the Germanic god Woden. In Romance languages, the name is derived from the Roman god Mercury. (For example, Wednesday is mercredi in French and miercuri in Romanian.) Woden (also known as Odin) and Mercury have been associated since Scandinavian and Roman cultures crossed paths. Under Woden’s supervision, the earth and sky were created from the dead body of a giant named Ymir. Woden also created the first man and woman from an ash tree and an alder. As if fashioning the human race wasn’t enough, Woden also established the laws of the universe. (The wacky history of Tuesday makes the origin of “Wednesday” seem boring. Read it here .) Mercury was the messenger to the gods, along with being the patron of science, the arts, travelers and athletes.

Today, he is one of the most widely recognized gods. Usually, he’s depicted wearing a winged helmet and sandals. Starting around 1965, Wednesday began being referred to as “ hump day .” Smack dab in the middle of the traditional work week, arriving at Wednesday symbolizes that we’ve made it over the hump and the weekend is in sight. Anglo Saxon Religion - Saxon Gods Anglo Saxon Religion The Anglo-Saxons were pagans when they came to Britain, but, as time passed, they gradually converted to Christianity. Many of the customs we have in England today come from pagan festivals. Pagans worshiped lots of different gods. Each pagan god controlled a particular part of everyday life: the family, growing crops, love, healing, wisdom, metalworking, the weather, war, day & night and so on. GOD Woden Chief God Religion was a means of ensuring success in material things. For example, you might pray to a particular goddess for a successful harvest, or for victory in battle. Days of the Week Certain days of the week are named after early Saxon Gods.

Monandæg ( Moon's day - the day of the moon ), Tiwesdæg ( Tiw's-day - the day of the Scandinavian sky god Tiw,Tiu or Tig), Wodnesdæg ( Woden's day - the day of the god Woden (Othin) ), Ðunresdæg ( Thor's Day - the day of the god Ðunor or Thunor ), Frigedæg ( Freyja's day - the day of the goddess Freyja or Frigg, wife to Woden), Sæternesdæg ( Saturn's day - the day of the Roman god Saturn, whose festival "Saturnalia," with its exchange of gifts, has been incorporated into our celebration of Christmas.), Sunnandæg ( Sun's day - the day of the sun ). From Pagan to Christianity About 1400 years ago, the Pope in Rome sent a missionary to England to persuade the Anglo-Saxons to become Christians. The leader of the Christian Church was the Pope, who lived in Rome. The Pope sent a monk called Augustine to England.

Augustine landed in the south and converted the first King Ethelbert of Kent, and then the people living there. The Pope made Augustine a Bishop and Ethelbert allowed him to build a church in Canterbury. Christianity then spread to other parts of Britain. The pope gave orders that pagan temples should be converted into Christian ones and that pagan celebrations should also be made into Christian ones. Churches, usually built of wood, were built in Saxon villages all over Britain. BBC - Primary History - Anglo-Saxons - Anglo-Saxon beliefs Primary History Bede and the Monasteries Early Anglo-Saxon beliefs In Roman Britain, many people had been Christians. The early Anglo-Saxons were pagans . Much like the Vikings of Scandinavia, they believed in many gods. The king of the Anglo-Saxon gods, for example, was Woden - a German version of the Scandinavian god Odin. From his name comes our day of the week Wednesday or 'Woden's day'. Other gods were Thunor, god of thunder; Frige, goddess of love; and Tiw, god of war. Anglo-Saxons were superstitious. They believed in lucky charms .

They thought 'magic' rhymes, potions, stones or jewels would protect them from evil spirits or sickness. Back to top What do graves tell us? Archaeologists can learn a lot from old burial sites. When Anglo-Saxons died, their bodies were either cremated or buried in a grave. Belongings buried with the dead person, for use in the next life, provide evidence of the jobs people did. Men's graves include knives and spears, which suggests hunting, fighting and farming. Women's graves include tools used for sewing and weaving - showing that women made cloth and clothing. The grave of a king, like the ship-burial at Sutton Hoo , was filled with treasures, weapons and armour. One child's grave in Essex had the bones of a dog in it, perhaps a pet. Back to top Anglo-Saxons become Christians After the Romans left Britain, Christianity continued in places where Anglo-Saxons did not settle, such as Wales and the west. Christian monks , such as St Patrick (who went to Ireland in the 400s) and St Columba (who went to Scotland from Ireland around 563AD) taught the 'Celtic' form of the Christian religion.

In AD 597 the Pope in Rome decided it was time Anglo-Saxons in southern Britain heard about Christianity. So he sent a monk called Augustine to Kent, to persuade the king to become a Christian. Over the next 100 years, many Anglo-Saxons turned to Christianity. New churches and monasteries were built. Back to top Bede and the Monasteries Monasteries were centres of learning, where monks and nuns spent their time in prayer, study and worked in fields and workshops. Monasteries were the only schools in Anglo-Saxon England. In the monasteries, monks copied out books by hand and decorated the pages in beautiful colours. Bede lived in the monastery at Jarrow in Northumbria. He went to live with monks in 680AD when he was just 7 years old. When he grew up, he became a historian . He wrote a book about the history of the Anglo-Saxons, called 'A History of the English Church and People'. Monastery The building where monks live. Monk A male member of a religious group, living, praying and working together and following a set of rules.

Nun A female member of a religious group, living, praying and working together and following a set of rules. Bede An English monk and historian. He lived from about 673AD to 735AD. Historian Richard's Ramblings » Post Topic » The gods and goddesses of the Anglo-Saxons The gods and goddesses of the Anglo-Saxons Posted by rdenning Published in Anglo Saxons , Dark Age When the Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea and began to settle in the former Roman province of Britannia they brought with them their beliefs and religions. It would take three or four hundred years for the Anglo-Saxons to convert to Christianity and in many cases this was undertaken not because of some deep revelation Â or spiritual event but simply and pragmatically for political reasons. Â Many common saxons and indeed a good number of their leaders remained secretly pagan even after baptism and those pagan traditions persisted in to later years and even as far as the modern age in words and names of the days of the week and of towns and cities. It is no surprise that this was the case.

Â When the ancient Germanic and Norse peoples started putting names and shapes to many of the striking themes and feelings they encountered in the world they created a mythology of beings of great power that were believed to have direct influence over their lives. This article then looks at the Anglo-Saxon Pantheon- the gods of our ancestors. Two Groups of gods In ancient norse legends there were once two groups of gods.Â These were the Â Ã†sir and Vanir. The Saxons called the two Â groups the Ese and the Wena. In ancient times the groups fought and in time the Ese won and their chief Woden (Odin) became the king of the gods and the Wena became subservient to him. The Wena are the fertility gods. Here is a list of the Saxon gods: The Ese Woden Woden is the chief God. He is the god of battle and war Â but also an observer of humans who might visit them in disguise.Â Woden’s name is remembered in the day Wednesday which means WodensdÃ¦g (Wodenâ€™s Day.) It also crops up in a great number of place names such as Wednesbury and Wednesfield.

Frige Woden’s wife , Frige was the goddess of households and of childbirth. Her name lingers on in our day,Â Friday from the old English world, FrigesdÃ¦g . Thunor Thunor (or Thor) is the god of thunder but was also seen as the protector of humanity against threats. His symbol, the hammer, was worn by many common people as a protection. Â Yet another of our days -Thursday is named after Thunor. Tiw Tiw was another god of war and was associated with courage and sacrifice in battle. He is remembered in the day Tuesday. Seaxneat Seaxneat wasÂ theÂ god of the sword. TheÂ SaxonÂ name for a long knife – the Seax became the basis for the name of the race – the Saxons. Loki Loki is the god of cunning and tricks. Often seen as manipulating and up to plots. (A theme I use a lot in my books). The Wena Male god of fertility and of the harvest . Freo Â or Freyja The sister of Ingui-Frea, FreoÂ is the Goddess of love. She is also the goddessÂ of female magic.

In laterÂ ChristianÂ times her followersÂ were considered witches and this goddess became a demon. Eostre Esotre was a Goddess worshiped during Eostremonath (April in today’s calendar). It was seen as the end of winter and theÂ beginningÂ ofÂ theÂ warm summer months. Â So the celebration was all about rebirth. The giving of Â eggsÂ seemedÂ to have been associated with Eostre. Â So popular was the celebration that the Christian church was forced to adopt the whole festival – linking it to Christ’s passion in the season we call today Easter. Even the egg lingered on in today’sÂ EasterÂ eggs. Christmas The festival we now celebrate on 25th December linked to the birth of Christ, is based on various winter festivals. It is close to the Roman winter solstice. It is also the first day of the old Anglo-Saxon year and part of their Yuletide or winter celebration. The coming of Christianity and the passing of the old gods Roman Britain was Christian. The invading Anglo Saxons encountered the new religion asÂ practisedÂ by the Romano-British or Welsh and the Irish.

Yet it was the mission sent by Pope Gregory and led by Augustine to Canterbury in AD 597 that paved the way for the conversion of England to Christianity. The King of Kent at the time. Aethelbert had aÂ ChristianÂ wife. Her wife was a princess from the land of the Franks and probably for political reasons he permitted theÂ establishmentÂ of a church inÂ Canterbury. Â The religion spread across the Anglo-Saxons lands but it would be 100 years before all the English kings would agree to the new religion. Many of them, and many of their subjects clung to the old religions for years after. The Church took to view that it was better or easier toÂ absorbÂ old pagan traditions, use old temples and holy sites rather than try andÂ eradicateÂ them. Thus what we have today is a land which hasChristian traditions in which there are echoes of older folklore. Easter andÂ ChristmasÂ both come from Pagan festivals. 4 of our 7 days are named after these pagan gods as well as many scores of villages and towns.

In my Dark Ages Historical fiction, The Amber Treasure and its sequel, Child of Loki theseÂ beliefsÂ and the new Christian ones appear and have influences on the characters and their world. The Seven-Day Week and the Meanings of the Names of the Days See Also The Seven-Day Week The Babylonians marked time with lunar months. They proscribed some activities during several days of the month, particularly the first -- the first visible crecent, seventh -- the waxing half moon, fourteenth -- the full moon, nineteenth -- dedicated to an offended goddess, twenty-first -- the waning half moon, twenty-eigth -- the last visible crecent, twenty-nineth -- the invisible moon, and thirtieth (possibly) -- the invisible moon. The major periods are seven days, 1/4 month, long. This seven-day period was later regularized and disassociated from the lunar month to become our seven-day week. The Naming of the Days The Greeks named the days week after the sun, the moon and the five known planets, which were in turn named after the gods Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Cronus. The Greeks called the days of the week the Theon hemerai "days of the Gods".

The Romans substituted their equivalent gods for the Greek gods, Mars, Mercury, Jove (Jupiter), Venus, and Saturn. (The two pantheons are very similar.) The Germanic peoples generally substituted roughly similar gods for the Roman gods, Tiu (Twia), Woden, Thor, Freya (Fria), but did not substitute Saturn. Middle English sone(n)day or sun(nen)day Old English sunnandæg "day of the sun" Germanic sunnon-dagaz "day of the sun" Latin dies solis "day of the sun" Ancient Greek hemera heli(o)u, "day of the sun" Middle English monday or mone(n)day Old English mon(an)dæg "day of the moon" Latin dies lunae "day of the moon" Ancient Greek hemera selenes "day of the moon" Middle English tiwesday or tewesday Old English tiwesdæg "Tiw's (Tiu's) day" Latin dies Martis "day of Mars" Ancient Greek hemera Areos "day of Ares" Tiu (Twia) is the English/Germanic god of war and the sky.

He is identified with the Norse god Tyr . Mars is the Roman god of war. Ares is the Greek god of war. Wednesday -- Woden's day Middle English wodnesday, wednesday, or wednesdai Old English wodnesdæg "Woden's day" Latin dies Mercurii "day of Mercury" Ancient Greek hemera Hermu "day of Hermes" Woden is the chief Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic god. Woden is the leader of the Wild Hunt. Woden is from wod "violently insane" + -en "headship". He is identified with the Norse Odin . Mercury is the Roman god of commerce, travel, theivery, eloquence and science. He is the messenger of the other gods. Hermes is the Greek god of commerce, invention, cunning, and theft. He is the messenger and herald of the other gods. He serves as patron of travelers and rogues, and as the conductor of the dead to Hades.

Thursday -- Thor's day Old Norse thorsdagr "Thor's day" Old English thunresdæg "thunder's day" Latin dies Jovis "day of Jupiter" Ancient Greek hemera Dios "day of Zeus". Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is represented as riding a chariot drawn by goats and wielding the hammer Miölnir. He is the defender of the Aesir, destined to kill and be killed by the Midgard Serpent. Jupiter (Jove) is the supreme Roman god and patron of the Roman state. He is noted for creating thunder and lightning. Zeus is Greek god of the heavens and the supreme Greek god.

Friday -- Freya's day Old English frigedæg "Freya's day" composed of Frige (genetive singular of Freo) + dæg "day" (most likely) or composed of Frig "Frigg" + dæg "day" (least likely) Germanic frije-dagaz "Freya's (or Frigg's) day" Latin dies Veneris "Venus's day" Ancient Greek hemera Aphrodites "day of Aphrodite" Freo is identical with freo, meaning free. It is from the Germanic frijaz meaning "beloved, belonging to the loved ones, not in bondage, free". Freya (Fria) is the Teutonic goddess of love, beauty, and fecundity (prolific procreation). She is identified with the Norse god Freya . She is leader of the Valkyries and one of the Vanir. She is confused in Germany with Frigg. Frigg (Frigga) is the Teutonic goddess of clouds, the sky, and conjugal (married) love. She is identified with Frigg , the Norse goddess of love and the heavens and the wife of Odin .

She is one of the Aesir. She is confused in Germany with Freya . Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite (Cytherea) is the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Saturday -- Saturn's day Old English sæter(nes)dæg "Saturn's day" Latin dies Saturni "day of Saturn" Ancient Greek hemera Khronu "day of Cronus" Saturn is the Roman and Italic god of agriculture and the consort of Ops. He is believed to have ruled the earth during an age of happiness and virtue. Cronus (Kronos, Cronos) is the Greek god (Titan) who ruled the universe until dethroned by his son Zeus . Sources These sources are somewhat inconsistent. I have chosen interpretations that are predominate among sources or that seem most reasonable. William Morris, editor, How the Days of the Week Got Their Names  Days of the Week Jigsaw Puzzle The days of the week were named after Norse gods and giant objects in the sky. These names come to us originally from the Greeks and Romans, who named the days of the week after their gods.

The Anglo-Saxons, who invaded Britain hundreds of years ago, adopted this idea but substituted their own gods. The English language has inherited and changed those names a bit, but the ones we use today resemble those names. Here's how: Sunday: Sun's Day. The Sun gave people light and warmth every day. They decided to name the first (or last) day of the week after the Sun. Monday: Moon's Day. The Moon was thought to be very important in the lives of people and their crops. Tuesday: Tiw's Day. Tiw, or Tyr, was a Norse god known for his sense of justice. Wednesday: Woden's Day. Woden, or Odin, was a Norse god who was one of the most powerful of them all. Thursday: Thor's Day. Thor was a Norse god who wielded a giant hammer. Friday: Frigg's Day. Frigg was a Norse god equal in power to Odin. Saturday: Seater's Day or Saturn's Day. Saturn was a Roman god. Click here for more Fun Facts!

Custom Search Days of the week Days of the week Compiled by Shlomo Lerman The names of the days of the week in various world languages can be classified as either numerical or planetary. The names of one or more days may have been changed for religious reasons. For instance Sunday is often named "Lord's Day" while Saturday is often named Day of Rest "Sabbath" or "washing day" in the nordic countries. Numerically named days may associate day one with Sunday as in Hebrew, Arabic and Portuguese, or may associate day one with Monday as in Chinese and Slavic languages. Planetary names for the days are derived from the Sun, Moon, and five visible planets (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn), each of which was associated with a Greco-Roman deity. The Germanic languages, including English, substitute indigenous Germanic gods with similar characteristics for many of the Roman deities. The English names for the days of the week derive from the Anglo-Saxon deities stemming from the native paganism of the Anglo-Saxons. An exception to this is Saturday, which takes its name from the Roman deity Saturn.

To varying extents, most regions with dominant Germanic languages practise a similar naming convention, with most of their weekdays named for their native Germanic deities. English names of the days The English days of the week are part of an astrological tradition of naming the days after the Sun, the Moon, and the five visible planets. The latter is clearest in Saturday, named for Saturn. What is different in the English system is that the names of Germanic gods were chosen, and these were not considered to preside over the relevant planets, but instead were considered equivalent to the Roman gods that were thought to rule over the planets. For example, Friday is named after the Germanic goddess of love, Freya, who was seen as equivalent to the Roman goddess of love Venus, who was associated with the planet Venus that the Roman day was named for. Sunday The name comes from the Old English Sunnandæg meaning "Day of the Sun". This is a translation of the Latin phrase Dies Solis. English, like most of the Germanic languages, preserves the original pagan/sun associations of the day.

Many other European languages, including all of the Romance languages, have changed its name to the equivalent of "the Lord's day" (based on Ecclesiastical Latin Dies Dominica). Spanish and Portuguese Domingo, French Dimanche, Romanian Duminică and Italian Domenica, etc. Monday The name comes from the Old English Mōnandæg meaning "Day of the Moon". This is likely based on a translation of the Latin name Dies Lunae. French Lundi, Spanish, Lunes, Romanian Luni, Italian Lunedì, etc. Tuesday The name comes from the Old English Tiwesdæg meaning "Tyr's day." Tyr (in Old English, Tiw, Tew or Tiu) was a god of combat and heroic glory in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. The name of the day is based on Latin Dies Martis, "Day of Mars" (the Roman war god); French Mardi, Spanish Martes, Romanian Marţi, Italian Martedì, etc .

Wednesday The name from the Old English Wōdnesdæg meaning the day of the Germanic god Wodan, more commonly known as Odin, who was the highest god in Norse mythology, and a prominent god of the Anglo-Saxons (and other peoples) in England until about the seventh century. It is based on Latin Dies Mercurii, "Day of Mercury"; French Mercredi, Spanish Miércoles, Romanian Miercuri, Italian Mercoledì,etc . The connection between Mercury and Odin is more strained than the other connections. The usual explanation is that both Odin and Mercury were considered leaders of souls, in their respective mythologies. Also, in Old Norse myth, Odin, like Mercury, is associated with poetic and musical inspiration. In German, the day is referred to as Mittwoch (mid week). Similarly in Finnish it is referred to as keskiviikko (keski = mid, viikko = week). Thursday The name comes from the Old English Þūnresdæg meaning the day of Þunor, commonly known in Modern English as Thor, the god of thunder in Norse Mythology and Germanic Paganism.

It is based on the Latin Dies Iovis, "Day of Jupiter"; French Jeudi, Spanish Jueves, Romanian Joi, Italian Giovedì, etc . In the Roman pantheon, Jupiter was the chief god, who seized and maintained his power on the basis of his thunderbolt . Friday The name comes from the Old English Frigedæg meaning the day of Frige, the Germanic goddess of beauty, who is a later incarnation of the Norse goddess Frigg, but also potentially connected to the Goddess Freyja. It is based on the Latin Dies Veneris, "Day of Venus"; French Vendredi, Spanish Viernes, Romanian Vineri, Italian Venerdì, etc. Venus was the Roman goddess of love and sex. Saturday It is the only day of the week to retain its Roman origin in English, named after the Roman god Saturn. Its original Anglo-Saxon rendering was Sæturnesdæg. In Latin it was Dies Saturni, "Day of Saturn". But, French Samedi, Spanish and Portuguese Sábado, Romanian Sâmbătă, Italian Sabato, etc.

come from Sabbata Dies (Day of the Sabbath) coming from Hebrew Shabath, "Day of Rest". First day of the week In English language countries the week may begin on either Sunday or Monday. Most business and social calendars in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia mark Monday as the first day of the week, though in South Africa and South America, Monday is considered the first day of the working week. Sunday was the first day of the astrological week, the Hebrew week, and in the Ecclesiastical Latin week of the first millennium. In Jewish and Christian tradition, the first day of the seven day week is Sunday. According to the Bible, God created the Earth in six days, and rested on the seventh day, the Sabbath, i.e. Saturday. This made Sunday the first day of the week, while Saturdays were sanctified for celebration and rest. After the week was adopted in Early Christian Europe, Sunday remained the first day of the week, but also gradually displaced Saturday as the day of celebration and rest, being considered the Lord's Day.

The variation is evident from names of the days in some languages — in Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, Portuguese some days are simply called by their number starting from Sunday, e.g. Monday is called "Second day" etc. In other languages, like Slavic languages, days are also called after their ordinal numbers, but starting from Monday, making Tuesday the "Second day". According to another possible explanation, days from Monday to Friday in Slavic languages aren't numbered by their position within the week, but by their distance from Sunday, especially given that Wednesday is named sereda "The Middle day", which makes it a true statement only if Sunday is the first day of the week. Through common usage in most of Europe for business purposes today, in South America, and in parts of Asia, Monday is considered to be the first day of the week and is literally named as such in languages such as Mandarin (星期一 [xīngqí yī]) and Lithuanian (pirmadienis). The ISO prescribes Monday as the first day of the week with ISO-8601 for software date formats. In the Julian and Gregorian calendars, a day extends from midnight to midnight.

However, in the Hebrew and Islamic calendars the days extend from sunset to sunset. Thus, the Jewish shabath also starts at sunset on Friday and extends into Saturday and the first day of the Islamic calendar, yaum al-ahad, starts on Saturday after sunset and extends to sunset on Sunday. Origins It is suggested that the seven day week derives from early human observation that there are seven celestial objects (the five visible planets plus the Sun and the Moon) which move in the night sky relative to the fixed stars. Seven days is also the approximate time between the principal phases of the Moon (new, first quarter, full, last quarter). Various sources point to the seven day week having originated in ancient Babylonia or Sumer. It has been suggested that a seven day week might be much older. The seven day planetary week was known to be present in Hellenistic Egypt. The oldest Greek attestation of a seven day week associated with heavenly luminaries are from Vettius Valens, an astrologer writing ca 170 CE in his Anthologiarum. The order was Sun, Moon, Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Chronos .

Valens had studied Egyptian astrology in Alexandria and there had probably also been exposed to Babylonian astrology. From Greece the planetary week names passed to the Romans. Sanskrit attestations of the navagraha "nine astrological forces", seven of which are used for day names, date to the Yavanajataka "Sayings of the Greeks", a 150 CE translation of a 120 CE Greek Alexandrian text. The Manicheans carried the system to Tibet and China in the 3rd and 4th century. The earliest known reference in Chinese writings is attributed to Fan Ning, who lived in the late 4th century, while diffusions via India are documented with the writings of the Chinese Buddhist monk Yi Jing and the Ceylonese or Central Asian Buddhist monk Bu Kong of the 8th century. The Chinese transliteration of the planetary system was soon brought to Japan by the Japanese monk Kobo Daishi; surviving diaries of the Japanese statesman Fujiwara Michinaga show the seven day system in use in Heian Period Japan as early as 1007.

In Japan, the seven day system was kept in use (for astrological purposes) until its promotion to a full-fledged (Western-style) calendrical basis during the Meiji era. The seven day week is known to have been unbroken for almost two millennia via the Alexandrian, Julian, and Gregorian calendars. The date of Easter Sunday can be traced back through numerous computistic tables to an Ethiopic copy of an early Alexandrian table beginning with the Easter of 311 as described by Otto Neugebauer in Ethiopic astronomy and computus. In other languages Romance languages In most Romance languages, such as Italian, Spanish, French and Romanian, the names of the days except Saturday and Sunday come from Roman gods via Latin. Latin itself calqued the names from Greek. The Roman (Latin) names of the days are still used in some English courts such as the House of Lords. The major exception is Portuguese which uses a numbered system derived from the Ecclesiastical Latin day names, as opposed to Classic Latin. Christianization The early Christian Church, uncomfortable using names based on pagan gods, introduced a simple numerical nomenclature which persists in some European languages such as Portuguese and Greek.

The Christian names are derived from Hebrew, which numbers all days of the week beginning with "First day" for Sunday but ending with the "Shabath" for Saturday. Arabic names for Sunday through Thursday are first through fifth days; Friday (the day when Muslims are expected to perform noon prayers as a group) is named the Djum'a "gathering day" and Saturday is Sabt. It was Saint Martin of Dumio (c. 520–580), archbishop of Braga, who decided that it was unworthy of good Christians to call the days of the week by the Latin names of pagan gods and decided to use the ecclesiastic terminology to designate them (Feria secunda, Feria tertia, Feria quarta, Feria quinta, Feria sexta, Sabbatum, Dominica Dies), from which came the present Portuguese numbered system. Martin also tried to replace the names of the planets, but in that he was not successful. In Middle Ages, Galician-Portuguese still retained both systems (as seen in older texts), nowadays only Portuguese's sister language Galician uses the old Roman gods system.

For that reason, the first day of the week in Portuguese is Sunday (Domingo). The Slavic languages adopted numbering but took Monday rather than Sunday as the "first day". Celtic languages Welsh, the closest living language to that of Roman Britain, faithfully preserves all the Latin names, even though the language itself is not descended from Latin: dydd Llun, dydd Mawrth, dydd Mercher, dydd Iau, dydd Gwener, dydd Sadwrn, dydd Sul. In Irish, the Latin names are used for Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Three days are named for the traditional Roman Catholic days of fasting and abstinence. Wednesday is "the first fast": An Chéadaoin; Friday "the fast": An Aoine; leaving Thursday as "the day between two fasts", An Dé idir dhá aoin, contracted to An Déardaoin. Germanic languages In English all the days of the week are named after the ruling luminary, with most of the names coming from Germanic deities, such as Wodan (Wednesday) and Thor (Thursday). Sunday and Monday are named directly from the Sun and Moon.

Saturday is the only day named directly after a Roman god, though the Germanic god associated with each day is generally a calque of the corresponding divinity from the Roman calendar. Other Germanic languages generally follow the same pattern, although the German for Wednesday is Mittwoch and the Yiddish is Mitvokh (mid-week). Icelandic is notably divergent, maintaining only the Sun and Moon (sunnudagur and mánudagur respectively), while dispensing with the names of the explicitly heathen gods in favor of a combination of numbered days and days whose names are linked to pious or domestic routine (föstudagur, "Fasting Day" and laugardagur, "Washing Day"). The "washing day" is also used in other North Germanic languages, although the "pagan" names generally are retained.

Indic languages In the Hindu Calendar followed in South Asia and South-East Asia the days of the week (named after the planets, starting from Sunday) are called bhaanu vaasara (Sun), indu vaasara (Moon), mangal vaasara (Mars), saumya vaasara (Mercury), guru vaasara (Jupiter) bhrigu vaasara (Venus), sthira vaasara (Saturn). The names of days in Hindi and Marathi are Ravivar (Sunday), Somvar (Monday), Mangalvar (Tuesday), Budhvar (Wednesday), Guruvar (Thursday), Shukravar (Friday) and Shanivar(Saturday). The names of days in Urdu are Itwaar (Sunday), Peer (Monday), Mangal (Tuesday), Budh (Wednesday), But under the Muslim influence: Jumaaraat for Thursday, Jumaah for Friday and Haftah (seventh day) for Saturday.

Dravidian languages In the linguistically unrelated South Indian dravidian language Tamil the days of the week are also named after the planets, in the same order as in the Romance languages and the Indo-Aryan languages - Thingal (Monday, Moon), Sevvaay (Tuesday, Mars), Puthan (Wednesday, Mercury), Viyaazhan (Thursday, Jupiter), Velli (Friday, Venus), Sani (Saturday, Saturn), Nyayiru (Sunday, Sun). Sino-Tibetan languages In the Sino-Tibetan language of Burmese, the days of the week, except for Sunday and Monday, named after the planets, are Sanskrit loan words.

In order starting from Sunday, they are: Taninganway (Sino-Tibetan), Taninla (Sino-Tibetan), Inga (from Sanskrit 'Angara', "Mars"), Boddhahu (from Sanksrit 'Budha' "Mercury"), Kyathabaday (from Sanskrit "Vakyasapati"/"Bavahasapati"), Thaukkya (from Sanskrit 'Shukra' and combined with Pali 'Sukka') and Sanay (from Sanskrit "Shani"). Japanese and Korean In Japanese and Korean, the days of the week are named after the Chinese astrological week, which is based on the Indian luminary week. The Chinese associated the five classical planets with the Five Elements. Notably, the order of the planets follows the Indian week, and not the order of the Chinese elements. (See table below.) For example, the planet Mercury is associated with the element Water, and Wednesday (dies Mercuris) is called "day of water" (suiyoubi, in Sino-Japanese).

These names of days of the week were introduced by the end of the first millennium CE to Japan and Korea, but they were not widely used in Japanese or Korean daily life until the late 19th century. Chinese In modern Chinese, days of the week are numbered from one to six, except Sunday. Literally, the Chinese term of Sunday means "week day"(星期日 or 星期天). Monday is named literally "week one" in Chinese, Tuesday is "week two", and so on. However, China adopted the Western calendar, putting Sunday at the beginning of the calendar week, and Saturday (星期六, meaning "week six" in Chinese) at the end . A second way to refer to weekdays is using the word zhou (周), meaning "cycle." Therefore Sunday is referred to as zhoumo (周末), meaning "cycle's end" and Monday through Saturday is termed accordingly zhouyi (周一） "first of cycle," zhouer (周二 ) "second of cycle," and etc. Another Chinese numbering system, found sometimes in spoken Chinese of southern languages (i.e.

Cantonese/Yue, or Fukinese/Min), refers to Sunday as the "day of worship" (礼拜日 or 礼拜天) and numbers the other days "first [day after] worship" (Monday) through "sixth [day after] worship" (Saturday). The Chinese word used for "worship" is associated with Christian and Muslim worship, and the system's use may be connected with the arrival of Christianity, especially prevalent during in the 18th and 19th centuries in south coastal port cities. In traditional Chinese calenders, days may still be referred to by their association with the sun, moon, and the Chinese elements of fire, water, wood, metal, and earth.

Question: After which Anglo Saxon god was Wednesday named
Answer: Woden